Temp Gauges

[Cabell_T_Treadway@res.raytheon.com]

I would agree that it's likely an alternator problem.  If the car is
already running, it's not going to be the battery, although if it is the
alternator, then it won't charge your battery, and the next time it may not
start, and if the alternator goes out and you are actually running on
battery power, you're screwed.

My problem with my 97 GLX is the water temp gauge.  When I bought the car
(used, in '98), I noticed that the temp gauge sometimes didn't work.  Then
after a while it got to where it would work only after hitting a bump or
something, so I decided it has to be the connector to the display.  Then
for months it never worked at all, and now it's working almost all the
time.  I've never taken the time to fix it because it's only a problem from
the sensor to the connector.  If the computer actually thought that the
engine was always running cold, it would try to compensate and the car
would not run happy, and I'd probably have a check engine situation.  But
one of these days I am going to fix it, just cause it's annoying.

>Next, I noticed that the oil temperature (on the MFA computer) does
>not display for a while, like two minutes until you've begun driving,
>but it doesn't sound like that was the scenario.

The oil temp on the MFA doesn't display until it hits 122 deg F.  I don't
know what's magic about 122, but my bro-in-law's '91 M5 said to not rev
above 4k rpm until the oil hit 122.  So I always keep the oil temp on until
it starts to register and don't crank it until it's warmed up.  Cold oil
can equal insufficient protection.

>(I think the guage next to the speedometer is engine temp, not oil
>temp-- so I hope you weren't talking about that-- but I could be
>wrong).

>Anyhow, I would guess it's more to do with your alternator?

I agree.

>- -Khan


Cab
97GLX
72Bug